Getting all stakeholders on board early in the implementation process is important. But the old proverb ‘too many’ cooks can also apply here.

Yes, you should ensure that you have support from key stakeholders ahead of your implementation. In addition, relevant departments should be aware that their input may be needed during the process.

However, do not fall into the trap of involving all your stakeholders at every stage of your implementation.

“The most successful projects have had the dedicated resource of two members of staff: A key stakeholder and a process owner.” – Hireserve Implementation Consultant

Consider who is best placed to contribute to certain stages. Does your Director need to be at your Requirements Capture workshop, for example? Keep meetings and training focused so you can prioritise on making decisions or explore a niche agenda item in depth. You can then cascade information down as needed.

With good intentions, you return some of the above by the agreed deadline. Sure, you haven’t specified whether you’d like your ‘Title’ field to be a dropdown menu or free-text. And, come to think of it, you have been a little vague on whether your organisation refers to ‘Recruiting’ or ‘Resourcing’. But your supplier can make a good start, can’t they?

Not necessarily. It may feel laborious pulling together this detailed information, but try not to scrimp on detail just to save time. It will only hold-up progress later! If you are unsure why certain data is relevant, or how you can provide it, ask your Implementation Consultant.

3. Don’t try to work everything out yourself

During your Requirements Workshop, your Consultant will ask how you want to work once your new ATS is implemented.

It may be that you don’t necessarily know the answer to this. If you’re implementing your first Applicant Tracking System, or are moving from a legacy ATS to a newer platform, you may not even be aware of the full scope of its functionality.

If this is the case, ask your Implementation Consultant to guide you. They have a wealth of knowledge and experience, and they often thrive on finding solutions to new customers’ challenges.Your Consultant will still need your input and ideas, but they will not expect you to know everything at the point of implementation.